January 25, 2017

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Mk 16:15-18

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Signs and Gifts

Today’s gospel reminds us:

“These signs will accompany those who believe:in my name they will drive out demons,they will speak new languages.They will pick up serpents with their hands,and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

My first thought when I read these verses was:If someone told me I could do these things, I would think that they were crazy. Nobody can do these things!

My second thought is:These are amazing things Jesus tells his apostles that they will do. Who wouldn’t want these great powers and abilities?

Then I thought:The disciples must follow Jesus down a road full of hatred, suffering, pain, and eventually martyrdom. Maybe the remarkable gifts were intended to support and strengthen the disciples as they followed Jesus toward martyrdom.

A lingering thought:How am I using the gifts Jesus has given me to help bring about the kingdom of God?

Prayer

Lord, teach me to be generous,to serve as you deserve:to give and not to count the cost;to fight and not to heed the wounds;to toil and not to seek for rest;to labor and not to ask for any reward,but that of knowing that I do your will.

—St. Ignatius Loyola

Please share the Good Word with your friends!

Welcome to PrayLA

As a Jesuit school, Loyola Academy is rooted in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Daily prayer was an essential tool by which Ignatius reflected on his life and deepened his relationship with Christ.

We invite you to participate in this rich tradition of prayer.

Submit a Prayer Request

Name

Email

Request*

To help us reduce fraudulent submissions, please enter the five digit code into the field below.

January 25, 2017

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Mk 16:15-18

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Signs and Gifts

Today’s gospel reminds us:

“These signs will accompany those who believe:in my name they will drive out demons,they will speak new languages.They will pick up serpents with their hands,and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

My first thought when I read these verses was:If someone told me I could do these things, I would think that they were crazy. Nobody can do these things!

My second thought is:These are amazing things Jesus tells his apostles that they will do. Who wouldn’t want these great powers and abilities?

Then I thought:The disciples must follow Jesus down a road full of hatred, suffering, pain, and eventually martyrdom. Maybe the remarkable gifts were intended to support and strengthen the disciples as they followed Jesus toward martyrdom.

A lingering thought:How am I using the gifts Jesus has given me to help bring about the kingdom of God?

Prayer

Lord, teach me to be generous,to serve as you deserve:to give and not to count the cost;to fight and not to heed the wounds;to toil and not to seek for rest;to labor and not to ask for any reward,but that of knowing that I do your will.